Solus
by rhead-a-holyc
Summary: Uncle Sev was always working on some potion or the other, and was never not busy with them but Draco liked the cool atmosphere of the potions lab. It was also the only time Draco ever saw his godfather relax a little bit, but only in the moments before Uncle Sev realized Draco was watching him. Oneshot.


**The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**

**Round 1: Chaser 3**

**Prompts: "Every family has bad memories." Mario Puzo [quote]; Stubbornness [word]; Beyond the darkness [phrase]**

_**Solus**_

Draco was carefully making his way down the narrow staircase leading to the potions lab that his godfather was currently holing himself in. Each stair seemed to be further away than the last, but Draco was determined not to fall. Draco was sure his mother had ordered the house elves to spell cushioning charms onto every surface that had even the slight possibility of harming him, stairs included. Father had always told Draco a Malfoy never fell, even in private, and Father always knew these things. Draco thought that the stairs would become easier to navigate at the number of times he was sent to call his godfather. They most definitely weren't getting any smaller, not that he complained.

Uncle Sev was _always_ working on some potion or the other, and was never _not_ busy with them but Draco liked the cool atmosphere of the potions lab. It was also the only time Draco ever saw his godfather relax a little bit, but only in the moments _before_ Uncle Sev realized Draco was watching him and kicked him out. _Again_.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Draco silently padded his way over to the closed door behind which he knew he would find his godfather. Draco took a deep breath and turned the handle of the door, hoping that the handle would not make a sound like it usually did and give him away. Uncle Sev usually had incredibly sharp hearing unless he was focusing his entire attention on the potion he was working on. Draco hoped it was one of those days.

The handle opened soundlessly. Draco pushed the door open slightly, leaving only enough space for him to peek within the lab. It was something Draco had learned after the first few failed attempts at sneaking in, but if anything, Draco had learned his mother's stubbornness. The small opening only let a thin strand of light venture beyond the darkness of the potions lab, not enough for Uncle Sev to notice but enough for Draco to see that his godfather had his back turned away from the door.

_Perfect._

Draco had once asked Father why Uncle Sev liked being alone all the time especially on days when everyone else was there. Father had replied with a vague, "Every family has bad memories. Your Uncle Sev just has more than most."

The topic had been closed afterwards. Draco didn't quite understand what his father had meant, but accepted it anyway. Father was never wrong, but that never stopped Draco from returning to the potions lab to keep Uncle Sev company whenever he could. Father had never stopped him, although Draco was sure his father knew exactly where he was during all those times he disappeared, so obviously he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Draco slipped into the room quietly, not allowing the door to open much further than it already was. The flickering candles Uncle Sev had next to him couldn't take the blame for too much extra light, and the potion fumes could only block so much from his observant godfather. Draco had nearly let out a sigh of relief that was stopped prematurely when the door decided to creak seconds before it closed. Draco winced and went to look for the nearest large object he could use to hide behind before his godfather turned around. He had been successful at this once. Hopefully there could be a second time.

…Or not. Draco tripped over one of the legs of a thankfully empty cauldron's stand, and was sent sprawling towards a pile of delicately balanced potions equipment that he was not entirely sure his godfather used anymore. Draco was pretty sure he would have noticed them there before if Uncle Sev had used them. Now that Draco thought about it, there was a possibility of Uncle Sev using the instruments while he _wasn't_there…

"Draco Lucius Malfoy! What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Draco winced. Uncle Sev said his full name in a tone that was even worse than the one Mother used when she was angry. Despite his godfather's harsh tone and angry demeanour, Uncle Sev's hands were gentle as he pulled Draco out from under the damaged potions equipment and away from the cauldron that rolled over the place his head had rested only moments prior. The mess he had been surrounded by was banished within moments. Concerned hands ran over his body as Uncle Sev's eyes carefully watched Draco's face for any indication of pain, even as Uncle Sev's words were sharp and full of warning.

Draco barely noticed the warnings or the repeated lecture on the dangers of running, or hiding for that matter, in a potions lab as he watched in silent horror as the still mobile cauldron crashed into a worktable. It took Draco a moment to realize that it was the table that Uncle Sev had been working at when he had snuck in. The small cauldron had tipped over the edge of the counter and the sickly green liquid was seeping towards them.

"Uh, Uncle Sev?"

"What?" His godfather sounded annoyed at being interrupted, but stopped talking and looked questioningly at him.

Draco didn't speak. He doubted he would have been able to string together a coherent sentence anyway. Draco just pointed at the rapidly flowing liquid. Draco watched as his godfather's eyes widened slightly as he took in the scene before him.

The wand that had been stowed within his sleeve while he had been tending to Draco made a reappearance as Uncle Sev began casting various, seemingly ineffective, spells at the viscous, green liquid. Finally a purple spell caused the potion to freeze only inches away from them. Draco let out a breath of relief then tensed as he noticed Uncle Sev turn towards him. It was his fault all this had happened after all.

"Draco, go tell Lucius there was a potions accident and that the lab is unlikely to be usable, while I salvage as much as I can. Do try _not_ to get hurt on the way up."

Draco looked up from the ground, stunned. He had been expecting to be scolded and banned from the potions lab for a very long time. Draco was about to question his godfather's words but quickly caught himself. He most definitely _did not_ want to be banned from _any_ potions lab especially not his godfather's. If Draco was not going to be punished, he was not about to _ask_ for punishment. That would be stupid. Either way, Uncle Sev had already begun summoning various items that looked untouched from the other end of the room at a rapid pace, dismissing anything that wasn't usable with only a glance or a flick of the wrist.

A single questioning glance from those black eyes caused Draco's rapid retreat from the ruined potions lab.


End file.
